What is LoJo?
Shorthand for locative journalism, LoJo is the name of a project launched by a team of Northwestern University graduate students to study the intersection of journalism and emerging location-based technologies. Through this project, we hope to create interactive and informative mobile experiences that push innovation in journalism.

What is locative storytelling?

Using the bouquet of emerging mobile and location-based technologies (from GPS-enabled mobile phones to interactive online maps), locative storytelling provides multi-media content that enhances a user’s connection to a given place. At its best, this kind of interactive media gives users increased entry points, and more control over, any given story, thereby enabling deeper and more vibrant experiences.

What are some examples?

If you’ve ever been on an audio tour of a museum or a city neighborhood, you’ve experienced locative storytelling. Other examples include Google mash-ups (user-enhanced Google maps that layer location-specific information over area maps) and GPS-based mobile games.

“mobile tagging (tagging= identify) means reading out a 2d- or 3d-barcode by using a camera in a mobile device.It is possible to save various data types in the codes, although in terms of mobile tagging predominantly url are ciphered . After decoding these codes, the user can be directly linked to the corresponding website.
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Commercial tagging includes the use of multi-dimensional barcodes, especially in the fields of mobile marketing and advertising. Showcases in this context are additional information on products (e. g. the nutrient content on hamburgers), direct downloads (e. g. free ringtones, clips or mobile games) and the direct link to a specific site of a company. Particularly in the field of commercial tagging it is vital for the code to be able to be branded (= it is possible to integrate a logo in the code).”

“A ubiquitous city or U-city is a city or region with ubiquitous information technology. All information systems are linked, and virtually everything is linked to an information system through technologies such as wireless networking and RFID tags.”

“Geocaching is an outdoor treasure-hunting game in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called “geocaches” or “caches”) anywhere in the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof container containing a logbook and “treasure,” usually toys or trinkets of little value. Today, well over 480,000 geocaches are registered on various websites devoted to the sport. Geocaches are currently placed in over 100 countries around the world and on all seven continents, including Antarctica.”

This advertisement from Google via YouTube serves as a handsome explanation on what location-based services are and “The new ‘My Location’ (beta) feature on Google Maps for mobile helps you know where you are on the map, even if your phone doesn’t have GPS. Just press [0] to move the map to your approximate location. Save time and tedious keystrokes finding where you are, what’s around you, and how to get there.”